'The Current State Of Affairs' Of The Windsor Locks Canal

SARAH SIMMONSReminder News

The Windsor Locks Public Library History Group invited a special speaker to its June 11 meeting about the Windsor Locks State Canal Trail and Park. Karen Carlson, a three-year member and secretary of the Friends of the Enfield Falls Canal group, talked about the history of the canal, what the group does and how to become a member.

Enthusiasts of nature and the canal itself listened as Carlson went through some slides and pictures of Windsor Locks from the late 1800s to today. The canal was first built so that barge traffic could get around the tricky Enfield rapids of the Connecticut River. Using such rudimentary construction supplies as picks, shovels and wheelbarrows, 400 Irish laborers dug the canal from 1827 until 1829. The barges carried produce from farms to Hartford. Today's trail sits on the old towpath where horses and their handlers used to pull boats through the canal. Much of the original stonework and wooden channel still remain in place, although because of tree growth and weathering they are deteriorating bit by bit. The canal is open from April to November, and during that time the public can run, walk, bike, fish, search out wildlife including eagles and get acquainted with a historical landmark.

"The canal is a jewel of central Connecticut," said David Vania, one of the audience members. "It just resonates with me," he added.

The canal runs about 4.5 miles and follows the towpath of a historic waterway. The trail offers users scenic views of both the Connecticut River and the old Windsor Locks Canal. Park benches, picnic tables and sandy beaches, along with a wide variety of wildlife, make using the canal for recreation purposes a great outdoor adventure.

Carlson said that the Friends of the Canal take on such responsibilities as landscaping, facility maintenance, repairing picnic tables, grant writing, public relations, educational programs, fundraising and preservation. The canal is a huge financial responsibility, so Carlson pointed out that they want to preserve what is there and slow down the deterioration. The people at the presentation were interested in becoming members, and Carlson explained that a membership consists of either a monetary contribution or assisting in events such as the Windsor Locks Source to Sea clean-up event. And for those who are outdoorsy summer people, there are landscaping chores much like what a homeowner would do for his or her yard. And in the wintertime, when the canal is closed, there is a breakfast meeting held at the Windsor Locks Diner on the third Tuesday of the month.

The group has a lot of future plans. They intend to clean the debris from the canal channel that include sandbars that build up, increase views from the canal and river and create access to fishing. They'd like to help with a Windsor Locks park that would be built through a grant, but this year the grant was denied. "When they do get it, we'll be there to help," Carlson said. "The canal is part of our national heritage," Carlson said.